It is with the greatest sadness that Ironsides Lubricants announce the passing of our Chairman David Bell.
David (born April 1945) was a true leader and long‑serving Chairman of Ironsides Lubricants Limited, he was the grandson of company founder George Bell and was the third generation of the Bell family to lead the company, continuing a legacy that began in the 1930s.
David was President of the British Lubricants Federation (the predecessor of UKLA) from 2000 to 2002 and was a Board member from 4th February 2000 to 2nd November 2005.
David began working in the family business in 1965, marking the start of a career spanning six decades. Under his leadership, Ironsides has navigated major industrial and global challenges, including:
- A catastrophic factory fire in 1980 and subsequent full rebuild completed in 1982
- The shift in 1990 toward wholesale supply within the UK lubricants industry
- Strategic development of specialist grease products in the 1990s
- A full transition in 2002 to focus exclusively on high‑quality grease manufacturing for domestic and international markets
- Successfully steering the business through events such as the global financial crisis, Brexit, and the COVID‑19 pandemic
Throughout this period, the company expanded its technical capability, R&D innovation, and global reach.
David was widely regarded for his stewardship of a multigenerational family enterprise, his resilience through industry challenges, and his commitment to technical innovation in lubricant manufacturing. Under his chairmanship, Ironsides Lubricants has sustained its status as Britain’s leading independent grease producer, proudly maintaining its identity as a family‑run company from our Stockport facility.
David will be remembered as one of the characters of the industry with his sense of humour, passion for the sector and the people that worked in it. He will be sorely missed.
Rest in peace David Forrest Bell
